


Soap and Water

by blackchaps



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-21
Updated: 2013-05-21
Packaged: 2017-12-12 13:40:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/812201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackchaps/pseuds/blackchaps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a tag for Trio. In short – ow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soap and Water

*********

“Medical team to the gateroom. We‘re coming in with multiple injuries.” Keller‘s voice wasn‘t frantic, but the words rocketed him from his desk chair.

John didn‘t remember touching down on the stairs. Guilt, of course, was the first thing he felt. He should‘ve gone with them. It‘d seemed routine enough, but nothing in this galaxy was ever routine. Resisting the urge to yell again for a medical team, he shifted on the balls of his feet, making sure the detail was alert, in case things suddenly went to hell.

Lorne stepped up next to him. “I‘m sure he‘s fine, sir.”

“Where is that medical team?” John muttered. He clenched his jaw as they emerged from the event horizon. Carter was slung between Keller and Rodney, and they all looked as if they‘d been wallowing in the dirt. John hurried, Lorne at his side, and they took Carter right as the medical team pounded up with the gurney.

“Did they do this?” John asked as he helped her onto the gurney.

“No. It was an accident. Old mining facility.” She gasped and grabbed at her leg. “I‘ll explain after I get a cast and a shower.”

“We‘ll need her under the scanner.” Keller took charge, and he stepped away, looking at Rodney. “Rodney, follow us to the infirmary,” she snapped.

“Sure.” Rodney hunched a little, and John didn‘t see any obvious injuries. Relief poured through him, and he was a little ashamed because he hadn‘t worried about his CO. Taking a deep breath, Rodney tucked his hands under his jacket, wincing.

“Got another splinter, McKay?” John didn‘t like what he was seeing, so the best thing to do was crack a joke. Several Marines laughed. Rodney‘s lips trembled, and if possible, he sunk further in on himself.

Keller stepped in front of John and clasped Rodney by the shoulder. “Rodney! You will not get shocky now!”

Rodney blinked. “I won‘t?” He trembled, but John saw him pull it together. “Right. Yes. Yes. Take  care of Sam.”

John wasn‘t surprised to hear that. Rodney would never turn loose of that crush. The medical team hurried away, and Keller‘s voice was gentle.

“First a shower, and then we‘ll fix you right up.” She looked as if she might touch him and then changed her mind. John could see her hand had a rope burn. Those hurt like all hell. Rodney gave her a nod, and John thought he heard a soft sound. For some reason, he kept waiting for Rodney to brag about how he‘d saved the day.

Nothing. Rodney moved away from him and trailed after Keller towards the infirmary. Not once did he even look in John‘s direction.

“Wonder what the hell happened?” Lorne asked. “They look like they fell down the rabbit hole.”

It was a good bet that the Genii were behind it. If it involved stupidity, they were to blame. John wasn‘t even being paranoid, just factual. “McKay looked okay. I‘ll go hit him up for information.”

Lorne pointed at the floor. “Someone was bleeding.”

John decided to hurry. He ducked into a convenient shadow near the showers and listened.

“Just get most of the dirt off. I‘ll send someone in to help.” That was Keller again.

Rodney groaned. “No. Just let me take it slow.”

“McKay,” Keller whined. John rolled his eyes. She sighed. “Fine. No painkillers until you get out.”

Painkillers? John edged closer and was able to see her leave for her own shower on the girl‘s side. Rodney glared at the door for a moment and then elbowed it open. John couldn‘t miss seeing the bloody rag around Rodney‘s hand, and he moved fast.

“Rodney?” John locked the door behind him. He knew his mouth was hanging open like a fool, but Rodney stayed turned away, and if anything, his shoulders rounded more. John tried again, “Buddy?”

“Go away, Sheppard.” Rodney didn‘t sound pleased to see him. John controlled a slight wince at the simple but harsh words. He wasn‘t leaving. Rodney half-turned. “You had your fun.”

A filthy rag slipped from Rodney‘s hand to the floor, and John felt his throat close. “What happened?” he forced out. He saw the shrug that became a wince and realized that Rodney wasn‘t going to undress – didn‘t want to undress. A tiny drop of blood seemed to hang in the air and then splatted on the floor near Rodney‘s boot. John couldn‘t make his brain think, and he‘d seen an arrow in Rodney‘s butt for God‘s sake.

“Rope.” Rodney took two steps away from him. “Can you leave me alone?”

John heard the slightly hysterical thread laced through Rodney‘s voice. Rodney was losing it, and that galvanized John into action. He took him firmly by the shoulders. “Hey, let me help.”

A shudder went through Rodney‘s body. “It‘s my hands, you know?” The words were barely above a whisper.

“I know.” John did. He carefully tugged at the filthy jacket. “Keller said your hands would be fine. She wouldn‘t lie.”

“Yeah.” Rodney made a terrible face as John pulled the jacket off him. Quick was always better than slow. John was more disturbed than he‘d admit at Rodney‘s silence. Yelling and complaining about every bit of pain was much more the norm. The trembling of Rodney‘s hands made John frown, and he could feel every harsh breath as if it were torn from his own lungs.

“Okay, I‘ve had enough.” John turned on the water with a wave of his hand and marched out of the room. Finding a doctor was easy enough. Convincing him took an extra minute or two, but he made promises and hurried back. Rodney was exactly where John had left him, but he was staring longingly at the water. “Take this now.”

“What?” Rodney frowned, confused, and John didn‘t make the mistake of putting it in Rodney‘s torn up hand.

“Swallow.” John pushed the pill at Rodney‘s lips, satisfied when he took it and swallowed. From there, John efficiently stripped him out of shirt, pants, and everything else that was pretty much ruined. The boots should be okay, but that was it. Rodney shook. That was all he did, and John could see bruises on top of bruises. “Easy.”

Rodney leaned away from the hot water, and John turned him around while he wasn‘t protesting. “Oh, yes, well, here goes nothing.”

The water sluiced down Rodney‘s back, and John didn‘t care that he was getting wet too. Rodney needed a hand – two of them. The trembling in Rodney‘s hands spread, and John started to seriously worry that Rodney would fall right down, and Keller would be more than pissed off.

“Rodney, you‘re going to be fine,” John said. Making absolutely sure the door was locked to all personnel, even a doctor, he hurried to the bench and stripped off his clothes in record time. He rushed back and wrapped Rodney tight. Rodney heaved out a huge breath and put his forehead on John‘s shoulder.

“Not as bad as Wraith enzyme.”

“Not even close.”

“Or an arrow.”

“No way.” John made sure Rodney kept his hands out of the water. “Breathe. I‘ll wash you.”

“Thanks.” Rodney didn‘t shuffle backwards, and John didn‘t want to turn him loose. “Ow, ow, ow. Okay, stop touching me.”

John made sure Rodney‘s legs were steady before getting the soap. He started at the top, worked down, and the water ran brown. Rodney sputtered several times, grunted more than once, and twice flinched away.

“You‘re doing great,” John murmured. He tried very hard to be gentle. He‘d never seen Rodney naked before – the man slept fully clothed – and it was distracting. “I gotta do your back,” he said more for himself than Rodney. “Keep your arms up. Less blood flow, the less it‘ll hurt.”

“Yes, yes.”

The fatigue was clear in Rodney‘s voice, and his knees wobbled, and John decided to hug him tight while he did the back.

“This is intimate.” Rodney snuggled his face into the crook of John‘s neck. John flushed; his entire body tingling. Rodney sighed and then said, “Ass hurts. Landed on it.”

“I thought I saw a bruise or two.” John rubbed Rodney‘s back, unsure of whether to go lower, letting the soap trail down on its own. It was better than nothing. “Pain med helping?”

“Yeah.” Rodney‘s eyes fluttered shut. “You‘d do this for anyone. Doesn‘t mean anything.”

That truth almost hurt, and John wasn‘t sure why. He put his face into the water for a moment and then calmly washed Rodney‘s backend. At least he hoped he looked calm. Inside, his guts churned, and he struggled with emotions that he‘d pushed aside so many times that they had no business swooping in on him now.

“Feels good,” Rodney mumbled, and John lost the battle that he‘d been fighting for years. It was a damn inconvenient time for everything to go to hell. Rodney yanked away and stared down in amazement; mouth falling open. “Am I hallucinating?”

“Yes.” John kept a hand under Rodney‘s elbow. He dropped the soap. “Shut your eyes.” He didn‘t exactly wait before he washed Rodney‘s face, forehead, and even behind the ears with none of his former care.

“Are you trying to blind me?” The protest, laced with indignation, made John feel a lot better. “Seriously! Stop!”

Chuckling, John made sure the water hit Rodney right in the face. “You‘re filthy, Rodney.”

“And you‘re taking shameless advantage of a wounded, drugged scientist!” Rodney shook his head hard enough to send water flying and opened his eyes to glare at him. Those eyes darted down again. “That shouldn‘t be possible.”

John had to look, and he took a second to stare. “Maybe I slipped you Viagra?” He furrowed his brow, somewhat unbelieving. It seemed not much could keep Rodney down.

Rodney‘s laughter was a surprise, and then he intentionally bumped them together. “And me without my hands. I‘m so grateful this is nothing but a hallucination.”

“Me too.” John looked him over from top to bottom, perhaps lingering on the bottom part. “You‘re clean. We gotta do your arms.”

“Um, no. I‘ve decided against it.” Rodney waggled his hips, and he had to stop doing that. John gasped and found a glare of his own. Rodney gave him a smile that was nothing more than a quirk of one side of his mouth. “No, huh?”

“No.” John moved behind him, nearly fell over himself from the surge of lust that insisted he thrust and hump, and grabbed him by the forearms. “Hang on.”

“To what?” Rodney screeched, and John didn‘t like what he had to do, but water washed away a high percentage of viruses and germs, and Rodney‘s hands were a breeding ground. One second later, he really wished he had earplugs. John kissed him on the side of the neck and told him that it was okay about fifty times. Rodney panted and writhed, finally going limp, in more way than one, and John shifted his grip to around Rodney‘s chest.

“Breathe. That‘s the worst of it.” John let him lean back. Rodney‘s mouth hung open, and he looked wrecked. “Rodney, they‘ll heal. The fingers aren‘t even bad. You‘ll be banging out equations before the end of tomorrow.”

Rodney shut his mouth. “This is worse than the arrow thing,” he whispered with a catch in the middle. He stared at his hands in horror.

“I know.” John rubbed, squeezed, and tried to comfort him. “Don‘t look.” He helped Rodney with one more rinse, shut off the water, and retrieved enough towels for four people. Rodney groaned loudly, and John steered him to the bench to sit down. “Hang on, buddy.”

Intentionally, John draped a towel over Rodney‘s head to get him to stop staring at his hands. Patting him dry was the safest thing to do, and after skipping some wet parts, John stepped in front to dry Rodney‘s hair. “There. Some bandages and you‘ll be complaining in no time.”

Rodney‘s griping never bothered John. It was the silence that got to him. Rodney looked up from his contemplation of his feet. “You‘d do this for Ronon?”

“He‘d kill me if I tried.” John sighed and took one last scrub at Rodney‘s hair, making it stand up on end. That was better. “Definitely Teyla though.”

“Oh, me too.” Rodney smiled. “Thanks.”

John nodded. “You‘re welcome. Sorry I laughed.”

“Sometimes, I don‘t like you very much.” Rodney got to his feet. “Dry my ass, will ya?”

That was as blatant a come-on as John had ever heard, but he was happy to do it. He did a thorough job, with an eye for details, and let Rodney lean against him when he was done.

“Rodney! You okay in there!”

They both jumped at Keller‘s voice, and John waited for him to answer. Rodney hooked his chin on John‘s shoulder and shouted, “Go away!”

That was clear enough. John stifled a laugh. “Tell them to get you some clothes,” he whispered.

“Get me some clothes!” Rodney bellowed, and they probably heard him in the control room. John nudged him to sit down again, draping towels this way and that, and then dried himself quickly. Rodney made several huffy noises and then said, “Would you do it for Sam?”

“Well, yeah, but you‘d tromple me to get there first.” John started dressing, knowing that Rodney was watching him closely. “Zelenka?”

“Sure.” Rodney‘s eyes were bright. He suddenly seemed to remember his hands, raising them up shoulder high. “Lorne?”

John nodded and checked Rodney‘s hands for blood before putting on his shirt. The bleeding had stopped, but he‘d seen raw hamburger that looked less … raw. He cringed at his own lack of imagination. “Cadman?”

“Ah, no.” Rodney licked his lower lip. “Keller almost took her shirt off.”

Lacing his boots fast, John grinned. “Cool.” He stood and Rodney was right there. Unsure of what to do, he raised one eyebrow. Rodney smiled, and John could see that pain med had finally kicked in. “Sit down. I‘ll get the clothes. Much longer and Keller is going to break down the door.”

Rodney studied his toes for a second. “Okay.” He sat down, towels falling this way and that. John opened the door enough to get the clothes but only just. He locked it again before stepping back to him and dropping the clothes.

“You okay?” John finger-combed Rodney‘s short hair. Rodney reached, grimaced, and nodded. He‘d have to be, and they both knew it. John did most of the work, and he nearly laughed at Rodney‘s blush over the socks and boots. Getting up from his knee, he double-checked his work. “You look good, considering.”

“Considering I want to cry?” Rodney shifted in his clothes, as if trying to settle them.

“Yeah.” John ran his hand through his own hair. He should‘ve asked a hundred questions about the mission and how exactly his CO had come home so injured. Shrugging, he looked away. “Later?”

There wasn‘t an answer. “Rodney! Don‘t make me send in the Marines!”

John heard the small grunt and saw the rolled eyes. He wasn‘t exactly proud that he stepped out of sight, but there were choices he made daily, and this was one of them. Concentrating, he unlocked the door. Rodney opened it with a curse.

“I was starting to think you‘d drowned!” Keller sounded concerned.

“Do you have any idea how painful this is?” Rodney wasn‘t as loud as usual. “Okay, so yours are hurt too, but mine are worse!”

“Come on.” It was easy to hear the affection in Keller‘s voice. John stayed put until he was sure they were gone. He headed straight for the nearest balcony so the wind could dry his hair, and he could tuck all his feelings out of sight for when he had to speak to Carter. Or Lorne.

It took longer than usual to put on his game face. Later. There was later.

**********

Rodney had a date with the fetal position. Yes, Keller was cute and all, and she apparently had spent more time than was healthy in Wisconsin‘s many bars and pubs, but everyone knew she really liked Ronon, once he got over whatever. There was no way Rodney was going to find himself caught between Ronon and a hard place.

“Another one, McKay?” she asked.

“At my limit.” Rodney smiled because it was polite, and regardless what people said, he did know how to be polite – to women. “I‘m a lightweight.”

“But you‘re from Canada!” She smirked, and he did his best to look embarrassed when all he felt was tired, sore, and somewhat confused.

He eased to his feet, hoped he didn‘t fall over, and tried to find some words that a nice man might say. “If I don‘t sleep, I‘m going to pass out.”

“Got it.” Keller waved. “Later?”

The word hit him in the gut. He tried not to move his hands in frustration. “I‘m definitely going to need a pain pill in the morning.” Her smile didn‘t dim, and he gave up, hurrying out the door of the mess hall. He nearly ran right into Lorne, and he was now far past polite. “Are you trying to further injure me?”

Lorne rolled his eyes. “Did the colonel find you? He was looking earlier.”

Rodney glared because that was what he did. “No, and if anyone calls me in the next twenty-four hours, they will regret it for the rest of their short lives!”

“Whoa.” Lorne put up his hands. “I‘ll spread the word.”

“Good!” Rodney stomped to the transporter and whimpered as he pushed the little light for quarters. Everything hurt, even parts that shouldn‘t. The doors opened, and he hurried as best as his very sore legs – stupid ropes – could take him. It was an unfortunate fact of life that Sheppard‘s quarters were on the way to his own. It hadn‘t been unfortunate until quite recently. Writing it off as hallucination wasn‘t really possible. He slowed, even paused, and he was smart enough to know that ‘later‘ was a lie. _Later_ would never come, not for him and Sheppard.

Anger wasn‘t the emotion he expected to feel. Like Sheppard said far too often, they had to buck up. It wasn‘t any big deal. His footsteps slowed, and he hated that he stopped, uncertain.

Sheppard opened the door. “Is it later already?” The words were soft, fierce.

“It‘s right now.” Rodney lifted his chin so he could meet John‘s eyes. “Later isn‘t ever going to get here, is it?”

They each took a hard breath. Sheppard moved a couple of steps back, rubbing the back of his neck, but the door stayed open. “Now is good.”

Rodney didn't even need one second to know that now was perfect. He stepped across the threshold.

********

the end


End file.
